Friction-clutch



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. H. BREWSTER.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

No. 450.790. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

W/T/VESSES: INVE/VTUR r norms PEYZRS co.. mm'o-umu, wAsHmcwN o c (NoModel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. H. BREWSTER.

FRICTION CLUTCH. N0. 450,790. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

WITNESSES: IIVVEA/TO/f W ib A! M W M W A H/S ATTORNEYS.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

FRANK II. BREWSTER, OF ESCANABA, MICHIGAN.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,790, dated April21, 1891.

Application filed December 9, 1890. Serial No. 374,068. (No model.)

To cr/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK H. BREWSTER, of Escanaba, in the county ofDelta and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Friction-Clutches; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in friction-clutches, such as areparticularly applicable to hoisting-drums, and has for its object toprovide an effective friction-band or clutch-member operating mechanismwhich will release or apply the same quickly and with little or no lostmotion.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter de scribed, andpointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation,partially in section, of a hoisting-drum having my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevationlooking at the inside of the power or drive wheel, showing theclutch-band at opposite extremes of its movement. Fig. 4 is a detailsection on the line as 00, Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is a section showing amodified arrangement of clutching-surfaces. Fig.6 is a section on theline to to, Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a detail section of the eccentric fortaking up wear.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the sameparts.

The hoisting-drum A (shown for convenience in the present illustration)is mounted on a shaft B,supported by pillow-blocks Con a base D, all ofsaid parts being of any ordinary or well-known construction.

On one end of the shaft B is mounted what I term the drive-wheel F.thatis, the wheel through which the poweris transmitted from the engine tothe hoisting-drum-said Wheel in the present instance being a cogwheelderiving its motion from a smaller cogwheel 6 on or driven by theengine-shaft. The drive-wheel E is loose on the shaft in the presentinstance, while the drum is keyed thereto, although it is obvious thatthis arrangement may be reversed and the power transmitted to thedrive-wheel through the shaft or from the drum to the wheel. At one endthe drum is provided with a friction-surface or clutch-rim at, aroundwhich pass the clutch band or hands connected to the drivewheel at oneend by the projections or lugs G and screw end and nuts 9 g,respectively, and at the opposite by mechanical devices, in which theprincipal part of my present invention resides and to be nowparticularly described.

Suitable ways or guides II are provided on the face of the drive-wheel,preferably just beyond and conforming to the circumference of theclutch-rim on the drum, and in these ways are mounted the sliding blocksI. to which the ends of the clutclrbands are secured, the connectionbetween the hands and blocks preferablybeing a rigid one and formed bypassing the ends of the bands around or through studs on the blocks. Theeffect of this arrangement is to shift the center of the circledescribed by the hands when the blocks are moved in either direction,the result being that the bands are applied or removed from contact withthe clutch-rim throughout their entire length. This action isillustrated clearly in Fig. 3, wherein the bands are shown in full linesin the position they occupy when in engagement with the elutch-rim andin dotted lines in inoperative or released position.

The mechanism for shifting and locking the blocks at the movable ends ofeach band consists of a carriage or block K, sliding in guides 70,formed in the drive-wheel radially from its axis, intersecting the lineof the ways H, and connected to the block by a link L, giving a powerfulwedging act-ion, rapid during the portion of the stroke when the band isreleased, but slow and very powerful as the link approaches thedead-center, which it may be made to pass, as shown in full lines, Fig.3, thereby forming an effective lock to prevent the accidental releaseof the band. The drive-wheel is preferably provided with slotscoincident with the inner ends of the ways 7t, and through these slotspass the links M, connected at one end to the carriages and at the otherto the collar or sleeve M, sliding longitudinally on the shaft andworking on a spline, so as to rotate therewith. An annular groove m. isformed in the sleeve M, into which fits a ring N, mounted on thebifurcated end of a pivoted lever N the movement of which, it will beseen, gives the carriages their radial movement to clutch or unclutchthe bands. Thelever N may be moved in any manner. In the preferredmechanism, however,its lower end is connected by a link N to acrank-shaft N (dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 2,) carrying a bevel gear-wheeln. A vertical shaft 0, controlled by a hand-wheel O, is provided with asmall bevel gear-wheel n, which meshes with the gear n. Thus by simplyturning the hand-wheel in one direction or the other the clutchsectionsare brought into operative engagement and the drum driven. 1

Below the hand-wheel O is a hand-wheel 0 which, through appropriateconnections, (forming no part of this invention,) controls the brake,thereby enabling the engineer to have the means for controlling thewhole apparatus within convenient reachan advantage which will beappreciated by those skilled in the art.

It is obvious that a single clutch-band may be employed in connectionwith myinvention; but in the preferred form two bands are employed,passing half around the clutch-rim, as in this instance additionalsecurity is afforded and the short bands act more quickly andpowerfully.

In the modified form of-the invention shown in Figs. 5 to '7, inclusive,the flexible clutchband or member is dispensed with, and in its stead amovable clutch member, in the form of a disk Q, is mounted on thedrive-wheel (see Figs. 5 and 6) and adapted to engage a clutch member Q,in the form of an annular inwardly-projecting rim, bolted or otherwisesecured to the edge of the drum. The ways H, in which the block slides,in this instance extend out at right angles to the plane of the wheel,as shown at R, the ways in every instance being so arranged as that theblock will be caused to travel substantially in the line of movement ofthe movable member of the clutch. The carriages K and ways therefor arethe same as in the first-described form, and the links L are alsosimilar to the links L, the only difference being that the links worktoward and from the face of the wheel instead of in a plane paralleltherewith, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.Twolinks L are preferablyemployed, and the block I is replaced by aneccentricpin I which passes through the links L and a connecting-link Ito give a neat and effective apparatus. This eccentric-pin I hasantifriction rollers 2' at each end, which run in the ways H, and inFig. 7 it will be seen that the eccentric 1' is in the link I", therotation of the pin being prevented by two set-nuts 2' with whicharrangement the eccentric may be turned to take up wear on thefriction-surfaces and the pin at once clamped in'adjusted position. Thisform of clutch members (by which are meant the co-operating-membershaving the clutching surfaces) has some advantages in that the area ofthe clutchingsurfaces may be materially increased Without lengtheningthe drum, and the whole device presents a neat and symmetricalappearance.

In an application, Serial No. 386,325, filed March 25, 1891, I haveshown, described, and claimed more broadly certain features,particularly the modified structure shown, and hence I do not wish to beunderstood as abandoning any part of the invention not claimed herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In afriction-clutch, the co mbination,with the clutch-rim and wheel havingthe co-operating clutch member attached thereto, of the block to whichthe last-mentioned clutch member is secured, mounted to slide in ways onthe wheel substantially in line with the direction of motion of theclutch member, the sliding carriage, and the link connecting saidcarriage and block for tightening or releasing the clutch, substantiallyas described.

2. In a friction-clutch, the combination,with the clutch-rim and wheelhaving the co-operating clutch member attached thereto, of the block towhich the last-mentioned clutch member is secured, mounted to slide inways on the wheel substantially in line with the di rection of motion ofthe clutch member, the sliding carriage mounted in ways in the wheel atsubstantially right angles to the ways in which the block is mounted,and a link connecting said carriage and block, whereby the block andclutch member may be moved into operative position and locked,substantially as described.

3. In a friction-clutch, the combination,with the clutch-rim anddrive-wheel having ways therein substantially in line with the line ofmovement of the movable clutch member and the radial ways intersectingthe same, of the movable clutch membermounted on the Wheel, the blocksliding in the first-mentioned ways and connected to said movablemember, the carriage mounted in the radial ways, the link connectingsaid carriage and block, the longitudinally-movable sleeve on the shaftof the wheel, and the link connecting said sleeve and carriage,substantially as described.

4. In a friction-clutch, the combination,with the clutch-rim andco-operating drive-wheel having the ways therein substantially parallelwith the clutch-rim and the radial ways intersecting the same, of theband connected to the wheel at one end, the block sliding in thefirst-mentioned ways and connected to the opposite end of the band, thecarriage sliding in the radial ways, the link connecting said carriageand block, the longitudinallymovable sleeve on the shaft of the wheel,and the link connecting said sleeve and the carriage, substantially asdescribed.

5. Ina friction-clutch, the combination,with

the clutch-rim and the co-operating drive- Wheel, the band engaging therim mounted on the Wheel, and means, substantially as described, formoving the said band to clutch or release from the rim, of thelongitudinallymovable sleeve, the lever engaging the same, the link, thecrank-shaft having the bevelgear thereon, the link connecting saidcrankshaft and lever, and the vertical shaft having the hand-Wheel andbevel-gear co-operating 10 with the corresponding gear on thecrankshaft, substantially as described.

FRANK H. BREWSTER. Witnesses:

ALEX. S. STEUART, A. M. KELLY.

